Friday Q & A

Okay, I’m noticing that you got new carpet? {from the before and after pictures here and here} Is it brown waffle like carpet? I can’t quite tell? We are about to get new carpet, and I’m loving yours!

Yep we got new carpet but it’s probably been a couple years now. I got sick of the shaggy almost white stuff because it showed up everything so we opted for more industrial stuff and I LOVE it.

I’d love to hear how you handle computer, tv, video game, time at your house with your kids. We struggle with this at our house.

That answer is here.

I do wonder what you have your ISO set at when you are inside your house and inside the church at night. Are you at 1600? The light in your night-time shots is always amazing to me. {from this post.}

I adjust my ISO depending on the light available. If it’s REALLY dark, I sometimes put it up to 6400. Most of the time when it’s dim inside I adjust to around 2,000 or 3,000. I’m lucky because my camera (Canon Mark II 5D) happens to be really, really good at high ISO settings (a lot of cameras make a photo look pretty grainy when it’s set that high). I love that about it because I’m not a big fan of most flash photography.

I’m just wondering, do you ever wake up and think, “I just can’t make myself exercise today,” or “I refuse to do any dishes today?” Do you ever feel this way? And again, where do you get the motivation to do all that you do day in and day out?

Well, the answer to this is yes, yes and yes! On the exercise thing, this last month has been so darn crazy I have only exercised one time before getting up here to Bear Lake where my sisters pulled me out to huff and puff and try to run with them today. I do usually prioritize exercise because it just makes me feel better. I pry myself out of bed and try to get in at least 3 or 4 good workouts each week before the kids wake up during the school year because it makes my day so much more productive. I know not everyone is like this. My Mom hates to exercise and claims it makes no difference in how she feels and I know there are tons of people like that. For me though, it gets those endorphins going and gives me way more energy.

As for the dishes, I just feel better if they’re done too. It makes me sick to my stomach to look around and see a disaster. Believe me, it’s there for sure, but that’s when I get my nag reflex going for the kids to finish up their jobs 🙂

Having the kids have specific jobs really does help me not feel alone in trying to do everything myself. I think it’s so important that we work together as a family on stuff like that.

My ten year old always wants to buy things anytime we go into any store. I keep telling her that we need to come up with a way for her to earn her own money for some of the things she wants. I know you and your siblings had to pay for many of your things growing up to learn the value/importance of money and saving, etc. I’m not really a fan of dishing out allowance, so I’m trying to come up with some possible solutions. Any ideas for us?

Dave and I are always trying to re-work money matters in our family. I think we need to do another re-vamp in the Fall. But for now I wrote my theories here, and then a follow-up to them here.